Insight into Kiwi doctor’s job

Mind That Child: A Medical Memoir By Dr Simon Rowley, Penguin Random House, $38

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Dr Rowley is a hero to many parents. He’s a paediatrician who has saved countless little lives at Auckland’s Starship hospital and has committed his working life to the care of our smallest citizens.

This is his own story, but he dedicates it to his patients and their parents who he says have taught him so much.

It’s a very engaging read. He talks candidly about the babies who made it, and those who didn’t, the work that goes into saving tiny lives against all odds. He also talks about the families, the parents who often feel helpless as the medical treatment takes over their newborn.

He tells a good story, thanks to the ghost writing of journalist Adam Dudding, but it is his own humanity that shines through.

Dr Rowley talks about the high-stakes management of tiny pre-term babies to the serious effect that drugs, alcohol and technology is having on young developing minds.

Real-life cases bring this story to life, and make it an excellent read for the lay person. Many of the situations he describes are the highest stakes, life and death for tiny babies.

It provides insight into a job that is filled with tension and moments of terror, and a life that is dedicated to saving others.

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